There was a devastating fire outbreak at Watt Market, a popular market in Calabar, Cross River state, causing significant damage to goods estimated to be worth millions of Naira.
The fire, which started around 2:00 am on Thursday, affected a minimum of six shops within the market.
Mrs. Olumayowa Olomola, Commanding Officer of the Calabar Command of the Federal Fire Service, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stating that the fire originated from a power surge at one of the shopping malls.
Although Olomola couldn’t ascertain the exact value of the destroyed goods, she mentioned that the impacted shops were well-stocked.
She emphasized that if not for the prompt response from her team, the fire would have spread to more shops.
Olomola stated, “Our response was swift, and we were able to contain the fire within the six affected shops.
“I urge everyone to take preventive measures, such as switching off all appliances, to avoid incidents like this in the future.”